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Alan Jacobs is President of the Ramana Maharshi Foundation U.K. He has made a lifelong study of mysticism and is the author of many books, including Poetic Transcreations of the Principal Upanishads, The Bhagavad Gita and The Gnostic Gospels. He has compiled the anthologies Poetry for the Spirit and Peace of Mind. As a poet, he is the author of two collections, Myrobalan of the Magi and Mastering Music Walks the Sunlit Sea. Amongst other books, he has written When Jesus Lived in India and a novella, Eutopia. He lives in London.
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WATKINS MASTERS OF WISDOM
HIS HOLINESS THE
DALAI LAMA Infinite Compassion for an Imperfect World
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This edition first published in the UK and USA 2011 by Watkins Publishing, Sixth Floor, Castle House, 75–76 Wells Street, London W1T 3QH Text copyright © His Holiness the Dalai Lama Biographical essay and compilation and selection of text © Alan Jacobs 2011 His Holiness the Dalai Lama and Alan Jacobs have asserted their right under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 to be identified as the authors of this work. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, without prior permission in writing from the Publishers. 1 3 5 7 9 10 8 6 4 2 Designed and typeset by Jerry Goldie Graphic Design Printed and bound by Imago in China British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data Available Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Available ISBN: 978-1-78028-006-6 www.watkinspublishing.co.uk Distributed in the USA and Canada by Sterling Publishing Co., Inc. 387 Park Avenue South, New York, NY 10016-8810 For information about custom editions, special sales, premium and corporate purchases, please contact Sterling Special Sales Department at 800-805-5489 or specialsales@sterlingpub.com
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Contents Acknowledgements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . vii Preface: Prayer by His Holiness . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ix Foreword . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xiii Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Biography of His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama . . . . 5
1. Compassion and the Individual . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 2. The Global Community and the Need for Human Responsibility . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29 3. Compassion as the Pillar of World Peace . . . . . . . . . 37 4. The Need for Personal Responsibility . . . . . . . . . . . 45 5. The Four Noble Truths . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53 6. The Stages of the Path . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63 7. Science and Religion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69 8. Opening the Eye of New Awareness . . . . . . . . . . . . 75 9. Tibet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83 10. Environmental Awareness . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89 11. The Need for Religious Harmony . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95
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12. The Purpose of Buddhism . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101 13. Ecology and the Human Heart . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107 14. On Religious Practice . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113 15. A Short Essay on Mountains . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 117 16. The Reality of War . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 121 17. Science at the Crossroads . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127 18. Nobel Peace Prize Lecture . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 141 19. The Sheltering Tree . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 155 20. On Buddhist Women . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 163 21. The Monk in His Laboratory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 169 22. Education for Tibet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 175 23. A Green Environment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 183 24. Transformations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 187 25. Mental Training . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 197
Suggestions for further reading . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 225
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
All the quotations in the body of this anthology are extracts taken from books, speeches and articles written by His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama.This anthology has been compiled with the expressed permission and approval of His Holiness. We are extremely grateful to the Dalai Lama for so kindly and readily granting this permission.The Compiler and Publisher also wish to thank all those many copyright holders who have given their permission for their extracts to appear. If, however, there are any omissions the Compiler and Publisher will be pleased to rectify the matter in this and all future editions.
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Preface WORDS OF TRUTH
A Prayer Composed by His Holiness Tenzin Gyatso, the 14th Dalai Lama of Tibet Honouring and Invoking the Great Compassion of the Three Jewels: the Buddha, the Teachings, and the Spiritual Community O Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, and disciples of the past, present, and future: Having remarkable qualities Immeasurably vast as the ocean, Who regard all helpless sentient beings as your only child; Please consider the truth of my anguished pleas. Buddha’s full teachings dispel the pain of worldly existence and self-oriented peace; May they flourish, spreading prosperity and happiness throughout this spacious world. O holders of the Dharma: scholars and realized practitioners; May your tenfold virtuous practice prevail. Humble sentient beings, tormented by sufferings without cessation,
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Completely suppressed by seemingly endless and terribly intense, negative deeds, May all their fears from unbearable war, famine, and disease be pacified, To freely breathe an ocean of happiness and wellbeing. And particularly the pious people of the Land of Snows who, through various means, Are mercilessly destroyed by barbaric hordes on the side of darkness, Kindly let the power of your compassion arise, To quickly stem the flow of blood and tears. Those unrelentingly cruel ones, objects of compassion, Maddened by delusion’s evils, wantonly destroy themselves and others; May they achieve the eye of wisdom, knowing what must be done and undone, And abide in the glory of friendship and love. May this heartfelt wish of total freedom for all Tibet, Which has been awaited for a long time, be spontaneously fulfilled; Please grant soon the good fortune to enjoy The happy celebration of spiritual with temporal rule. O protector Chenrezig, compassionately care for Those who have undergone myriad hardships, Completely sacrificing their most cherished lives, bodies, and wealth, For the sake of the teachings, practitioners, people, and nation.
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P R E FA C E | xi
Thus, the protector Chenrezig made vast prayers Before the Buddhas and Bodhisativas To fully embrace the Land of Snows; May the good results of these prayers now quickly appear. By the profound interdependence of emptiness and relative forms, Together with the force of great compassion in the Three Jewels and their Words of Truth, And through the power of the infallible law of actions and their fruits, May this truthful prayer be unhindered and quickly fulfilled.
This prayer, ‘Words of Truth’, was composed by His Holiness Tenzin Gyatso, the 14th Dalai Lama of Tibet, on 29 September 1960 at his temporary headquarters in the Swarg Ashram at Dharamsala, Kangra District, Himachal State, India. This prayer for restoring peace, the Buddhist teachings, and the culture and self-determination of the Tibetan people in their homeland, was written after repeated requests by Tibetan government officials along with the unanimous consensus of the monastic and lay communities.
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Foreword
W
e firmly believe that particularly in the case of the Buddha Dharma, which has been in existence for over 2500 years, and which shares with all other religious traditions, teachings such as compassion, kindness, and tolerance and self-discipline, that it has a very special role to play in these difficult modern times. This is so because unlike all the other religious traditions, Buddhism propounds the unique concept of inter-dependence, which is so close to modern science. Our excellent, well-researched anthology introduces the major themes of the Buddha Dharma, in the Dalai Lama’s own words, in a clear, concise and readable form. We most sincerely commend this book as a fine introduction to Buddhist teachings, and trust it will prove to be of valuable assistance to all those who wish to understand them. We hope it will reach as wide an audience as is possible in these grave times, when the Dalai Lama’s perennial message of peace, compassion and tolerance are so widely needed in our deeply troubled world today.
Alan Jacobs President of the Sri Bhagavan Ramana Maharshi Foundation UK
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Introduction
I
t is indeed a very great privilege to be able to write an introduction to a major anthology, which, with His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama’s kind permission, I have been able to compile from his many written works and speeches. His Holiness, the 14th Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso, is without doubt the most important living spiritual leader in the world today. He is a greatly revered and respected simple Buddhist monk, of the highest integrity and self-effacing humility, and is honoured and loved throughout the world. This worldwide appreciation is not only because he is admired for his single-minded courage and determination, but also for his ability to educate and inspire all those many peoples who are interested in the highest religious and ethical principles available to man. We live in a world still suffering from global disharmony, not only in the field of morality, but in the eternal quest for the peace and happiness of all mankind. The Dalai Lama has devoted his life selflessly and diligently to furthering a solution, so we may realize these worthy ideals. His many books and lectures are masterpieces of clarity. He has a fine command of the English language and even writes the occasional poem to underline his views. He is both the spiritual and temporal leader of the distressed Tibetan people,
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and he is a living example of the simple Buddhist monk who demonstrates his noble ideas in practice, not only with wisdom, eloquence and generosity, but also with refreshing warmth and a sense of humour. As this anthology will surely demonstrate, the key note of the Dalai Lama’s main interests can be summed up in four words, Kindness, Love, Compassion and Altruism. These are the four perennial virtues which can be found in all the world religions, but are no better demonstrated in action, in today’s world, than by His Holiness himself, who promotes them, both in thought and deed. He is a zealous and fervent advocate of the overwhelming ecological need to care for our planet’s wellbeing, in respect of paying loving care to the preservation of the natural environment. He cares passionately for the wellbeing of all sentient creatures on Earth, whether they be from the animal kingdom or from humanity; in this respect he transcends all national boundaries. After the cruel invasion of Tibet by China, and his consequent exile along with many other monks, abbots and spiritual leaders, he has fought ceaselessly to regain his country’s freedom, by a judicious, consistent and hard-working policy of negotiation, setting a supreme example of the ‘nonviolent way’ to regain political and economic freedom for his downtrodden people. He has been consistently honoured by the worldwide international community for his noble efforts, not only by the United Nations, but by many international governmental bodies promoting peace and welfare for global humanity. He
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INTRODUCTION | 3
recognizes, as a matter of urgency, the crucial necessity for establishing and preserving world peace, along with the absolute necessity for curbing the horrific threat which nuclear weapons pose to our world’s safety, and the security of the whole of humanity. Although His Holiness the Dalai Lama has been forced by political circumstances to be the leader in his country’s struggle for freedom, he has also preserved his role as the greatest living authority on the historic teachings of Tibetan Buddhism. He has brought to the world a deep knowledge of their timehonoured wisdom, and the high ethical principles of this greatly respected religion. Although in one sense the exile of the Tibetan spiritual leaders led by His Holiness is a national tragedy, it is in part compensated by their ability to bring these principles afresh into the Western world, which is sorely in need of sound spiritual teaching and ethical renewal. He is a brave man, of immense courage, who has led an adventurous life with fortitude and forbearance. He is loved by all who know him, for his personal warmth, and astounding sense of humour, still living austerely as a simple Tibetan monk. He has an infectious ability to immediately put at ease all those people from every walk of life with whom he comes into contact in his worldwide travels. The medium of television has brought his presence into the homes of ordinary men and women all over the planet, so that he has become widely respected and revered as a loving, gentle and wise friend, ever smiling good naturedly in the face of hard-pressing difficulties. This anthology can only give a brief glimpse of the many facets of this great man’s teaching and universal message for
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humanity. It is, in itself, only an introduction for the interested reader, in the hope that it will lead many to the study and appreciation of his own eloquently written books, which convey his entire message to the world in considerable depth, with gravity, wit and literary skill.
Alan Jacobs President of the Sri Bhagavan Ramana Maharshi Foundation UK
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Biography of
His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama
T
he 14th Dalai Lama is officially the Buddhist leader of religious officials of the Gelug sect of Tibetan Buddhism. The name is a combination of the Mongolian word dalai meaning ‘ocean’ and the Tibetan word blama meaning ‘chief’ or ‘high priest’. Lama is a general term referring to Tibetan Buddhist teachers. In religious terms, the Dalai Lama is recognized by his devotees to be the rebirth of a long line of tulkus who descend from the bodhisattva Avalokite´svara. Traditionally, His Holiness is thought of as the latest reincarnation of a series of spiritual leaders who have chosen to be reborn in order to enlighten others. Between the 17th century and 1959, the Dalai Lamas were the directors of the Tibetan government, administering a large portion of the area from their capital, Lhasa. Following the ruthless conquest of Tibet by the Chinese army, since 1959, the Dalai Lama has been the President of the Tibetan government-in-exile. His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso, was born on 6 July 1935, to a humble peasant family in the small village of Taktser in the north-eastern part of Tibet. After completing all the time-honoured traditional ways of searching for,
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examining, and locating the future Dalai Lama, he was clearly recognized at the age of two years to be the reincarnation of his predecessor, the 13th Dalai Lama. The Dalai Lamas are regarded by the Tibetans as the manifestations of the Great Buddha of Compassion, who have, themselves, chosen to take on a further rebirth in order to serve humanity. The words ‘Dalai Lama’ mean ‘Ocean of Wisdom’. The Tibetans normally refer to His Holiness as ‘Yizhin Norbu’, which means ‘The Wish Fulfilling Gem’, or more simply, just as ‘Kundun’, which means ‘The Presence’. According to his biographer, Rinchen Dharlo, when the 13th Dalai Lama died in 1935, the Tibetan government had not simply to appoint a successor, but to discover the child in whom the Buddha of Compassion would incarnate. The child need not necessarily have been born just at the death of his predecessor, or even very soon thereafter. As on previous occasions, there were astrological and other indications of where to search. For example, when the 13th Dalai Lama’s body was laid in a shrine facing south, his head turned to the east twice. Furthermore, to the east of this shrine a great fungus appeared on the eastern side of a pillar of wellseasoned wood. The Regent of Tibet then went to the sacred lake of Lhamoe Lhatso, where traditionally Tibetans have often seen visions of the future. There he saw, among other things, a monastery with roofs of jade green and gold, and a house with a roof tiled in turquoise slates. In 1937 high lamas and dignitaries were dispatched throughout Tibet to search for the exact place seen in that
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vision. Those heading east were led by Lama Kewtsang Rinpoche of the Sera Monastery. In Takster they found exactly such a place and visited the house. Kewtsang disguised himself as a servant and a junior monk posed as the leader. The Rinpoche was wearing a rosary, owned by the deceased 13th Dalai Lama, and the little boy quickly recognized it, and then asked that it should be given to him. This was promised if the child could guess who the wearer was. The reply was ‘Sera aga’ which in the local dialect meant a monk from Sera. The boy was then able to tell amongst the lamas, who the real leader and servant were. After many further tests of identifying objects owned by the previous Dalai Lama, it was agreed that this child was undoubtedly his reincarnation and the new Dalai Lama was ceremoniously enthroned in 1940. In 1950, when he was just 16 years old, and still having to face 9 more intensive years of religious training, His Holiness was forced to assume full political power when China invaded Tibet. In March of 1959, during the gallant uprising of the downtrodden Tibetan people against Chinese military occupation, he was forced into exile. Since then he has lived in the beautiful Himalayan foothills of Dharamsala, under the gracious hospitality of the friendly Indian government. Dharamsala is now firmly established as the seat of the Tibetan government-in-exile, which was proclaimed a constitutional democracy in 1963. Dharamsala, appropriately now known as ‘Little Lhasa’, has developed superb cultural and educational institutions and serves as the capital-in-exile for over 130,000 Tibetan refugees,
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living mainly in India. Others have taken refuge in Nepal, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, the United States of America, Canada and approximately 30 other countries. Over nearly 40 years, the Dalai Lama has endeavoured, as much as he has been able, to open a constructive and meaningful dialogue with the Chinese government. Between 1977 and 1978 he proposed a Five-Point Peace Plan, which would also help stabilize the entire Asian region, and which has drawn widespread praise from statesmen and legislative bodies around the world. But up to now the Chinese Government has steadily refused to enter into negotiations with the Tibetans, in spite of the intense pressure of worldwide public opinion. Meanwhile, His Holiness, the 14th Dalai Lama, unlike any of his predecessors who never visited the West, continues his extensive worldwide travels. He speaks most eloquently in favour of global ecumenical understanding, for kindness and compassion to our fellow men and women, greater respect for the environment and, above all, strenuous efforts for world peace. He has written many books and made many speeches on these topics. There have been films and documentaries made for public audiences and television stations all over the world, and he is now universally regarded, in most people’s eyes, as the leading and most respected spiritual figure on the world scene. He made his first journey outside of India in 1967 when he went to Japan and Thailand. He was greatly impressed by the Japanese sense of order and cleanliness. He noted that although Japan had achieved great material advances, she had continued to maintain her traditional culture and values. In Thailand he found the people to be wonderfully relaxed and easygoing,
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contrasting them with Japanese formality. As in Japan, he found much to discuss in their different approaches to Buddhism, and he came to the conclusion that Buddhism in the Tibetan tradition was a very complete form of this religion. In 1973 he made a whirlwind trip to Europe and Scandinavia. In just 6 weeks he succeeded in visiting 11 countries. He felt refreshed to see so many new places and by meeting so many new people. In Rome he had an audience with Pope Paul VI and toured the Vatican City. He expressed his conviction of the importance in affirming spiritual values for the whole of humanity, no matter what creed they might follow. He found the Pope to be in total agreement and they parted as good friends. He then flew to Switzerland for a brief visit where he met some of the many Tibetan children who had been adopted by generous Swiss families. He made a subsequent visit there six years later and was delighted to see how the Swiss families had treated them with love and kindness and made arrangements for them to speak Tibetan. From Switzerland he visited Holland where he conversed with a well-known rabbi. They had both shared tremendous suffering at the hands of oppressors and looking into each other’s eyes they both wept. From there he went on to Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Belgium and Ireland. Everywhere he went he found people were thirsting for information about Tibet. During this visit he met a Scandinavian organization which made it possible for 40 young Tibetans to be trained in agriculture and mechanics. He spent ten days in the United Kingdom where he found that, of all the European countries, Britain felt
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the closest links with Tibet. This visit included a talk with Harold Macmillan, the then Prime Minister, and Edward Carpenter, the Dean of Westminster, both of whom he found to be very sympathetic. In 1972 he made his first visit to the United States. On arrival in New York, he was immediately impressed by an atmosphere of freedom. He found the people to be warm, open, and very relaxed, although at the same time he noticed that there were parts of this great city which were untidy and dirty with many tramps and homeless people littering the doorways. In New York he found out that very few people were familiar with Tibet’s suffering and dilemma. He observed that the American political system failed in many respects. He was given the opportunity to address many different groups. Since visiting these diverse parts of the globe, he has returned many times. Overall, he says that he has found much that is impressive about Western society. He admires the energy, creativity and thirst for knowledge. On the other hand, there are a number of observations which caused him considerable concern. He found that people tend to think in terms of ‘black and white’ and ‘either, or’, which totally ignored the facts of ‘interdependence’ and ‘relativity’. They lose sight of the grey areas which inevitably exist between two points of view. Many people live very well in large cities and are virtually isolated from the broad mass of humanity. They appear only to show their true feelings to their cats and dogs. This indicated a lack of spiritual values. The intense competiveness of life seems to generate fear and a deep sense of insecurity. But wherever he
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goes, the Dalai Lama, as a Buddhist monk, tries to contribute in any way he can towards better harmony and understanding between different groups and religions. He also talks about the catastrophic problems facing Tibet under Chinese rule. Wherever he goes he is keen to meet dignitaries from other religious groups, and readily grants interviews both to the press and television. He tries to spend at least five-and-a-half hours a day in prayer, meditation and study. He also keeps in touch with world events. This Dalai Lama is therefore very different from his predecessors. For instance, the 13th Dalai Lama was both strict and formal, and most Tibetans could not get close to him except during public blessings and other ceremonies. The 14th Dalai Lama often meets informally with Tibetans and foreigners and has never kept people at a distance. Anyone he meets, from any walk of life, even for the first time, he treats as if he was a newly discovered ‘old friend’. He is nearly always seen to be smiling, and his good humour radiates through his interviews, even when external matters may be grave and disturbing. Tibetans say that they all lived together very peacefully until the Chinese invaded their country. Since then, 1.2 million people – that is 20 per cent of the entire Tibetan population – have died in combat or through massive famines from the new collectivized farming, and diversion of much needed Tibetan grain to China. The Chinese gutted all but 10 of Tibet’s 6,254 monasteries, taking their treasures, worth $80 billion in jewels, gold, silver and bronze statues and other sacred items. These were trucked back to China and later sold in the art and gold markets of Hong Kong and Tokyo.
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Nevertheless, the Dalai Lama, honoured as the 1989 Nobel Peace Prize winner for his non-violent quest to free his homeland, does not hate the Chinese. He considers compassion as the best means to regain Tibet’s autonomy. The leaders of Tibet’s government-in-exile have lived, as has been mentioned, since 1960 in Dharamsala, the beautiful hill station in Himlach Pradesh, India, a mere 125 miles from Tibet’s border. From the centre of Dharamsala, there is a hairraising climb up thousands of feet along narrow roads that twist to the village of McLeod Ganj. Tibetans live there under India’s laws, but they are permitted their quasi government. The Dalai Lama, himself, drafted a constitution in 1963, allowing Tibetans throughout the world to be elected representatives of the government-in-exile. He has established an independent judiciary, an auditor’s office and other governmental departments. He no longer has the final say on all decision-making matters and he could even be impeached! Living in Dharamsala in the 1960s and 1970s was very difficult for the Tibetans because it was so isolated. Now the construction of a small airport and installation of a modern telephone system have somewhat improved conditions. Up the mountain is the Tibetan Children’s Village, run by one of the Dalai Lama’s sisters. It houses and educates about 1,500 youngsters and many who are refugees. Its branches throughout India serve 5,500 or so more children. The Dalai Lama often visits the village and elsewhere, but the majority of his time is spent in Dharamsala, praying, meditating and studying. He reads scriptures, studies philosophy and often prays with other fellow Tibetan Buddhist monks. He also pores
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over official papers, listens to the BBC World Service on the radio, reads magazines like Newsweek and Time, and newspapers such as The Times of India and The Hindustan Times. Many people told the Tibetans in the 1960s that their quest for freedom was hopeless. But the Dalai Lama believes that with radical political changes in the former Soviet Union and East Germany, Tibetan freedom is not such a far-fetched notion as people might imagine. Many obstacles remain before Tibetans have their political and social freedom back once again in their homeland, according to His Holiness. The older Chinese Communist leaders are in their 80s, and he believes that although the first generation of revolutionaries still respect and obey the government regime, the younger leaders may eventually take a different view. Even with no signs of political liberalization, the Communist Party’s free market reforms have somewhat improved the Tibetan economy and quelled unrest. And many Chinese sympathize with the Tibetan freedom movement. Once the current Chinese leaders are gone, then he does not see any insurmountable obstacles. In 1963, His Holiness promulgated a democratic constitution based on Buddhist principles and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, as a model for the future free Tibet. Since then, the Dalai Lama has been the most vigorous advocate for the refugees’ own democratic experiment, while consistently reaffirming his desire not to hold political office once Tibet regains its independence. The Dalai Lama continues to present new initiatives to resolve the Tibetan issue. At the Congressional Human Rights Caucus in 1987, he
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proposed a Five-Point Peace Plan as a first step toward resolving the future status of Tibet. This plan called for the designation of Tibet as a zone of non-violence, an end to the massive transfer of the Chinese into Tibet, restoration of fundamental human rights and democratic freedoms, and the abandonment of China’s use of Tibet for nuclear weapons production and the dumping of nuclear waste, as well as urging earnest negotiations on the future of Tibet. The Dalai Lama continued what he viewed as the most realistic effort to create a self-governing democratic Tibet. His proposals, made in Strasbourg, France, in 1988, included the accommodation of China’s own interests while preserving the Tibetan people’s ultimate authority in forming their government. However, the Dalai Lama faced a closed and negative attitude from the Chinese leadership in response to his efforts, causing him to declare the Strasbourg proposals as no longer binding in 1991. His travels have taken him to Brazil, England, Switzerland and the United States, where he met with President George Bush in April 1991. That meeting ended a 30-year American boycott of the Tibetan leader by the United States, which had never officially recognized Tibet up to now, considering it part of China. The Dalai Lama has met with several major heads of state as well as other senior political, religious, cultural and business leaders internationally, to speak on his belief in the oneness of the human family and the need for each individual to develop a sense of universal responsibility. In October 1989, during a dialogue in Dharamsala with eight Rabbis and Jewish scholars from the United States, the
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Dalai Lama said, ‘When we became refugees, we knew our struggle would not be easy; it would take a long time, many generations. Very often we would refer to the Jewish people, how they kept their identity and faith despite such great hardship and so much suffering. And, when external conditions were ripe they were ready to rebuild their nation. So you see, there are many things to learn from our Jewish brothers and sisters.’ His talks in other forums focused on the commonality of all faiths and the need for greater unity among different religions. ‘I always believe that it is much better to have a variety of religions, a variety of philosophies, rather than one single religion or philosophy. This is necessary because of the different mental dispositions of each human being. Each religion has certain excellent unique ideas and practices, and learning about them can only enrich one’s own faith.’ The Dalai Lama has received numerous honorary doctorates from universities worldwide. In 1989, he received the world’s highest honour of The Nobel Peace Prize in Oslo, Norway. The Norwegian Nobel Committee emphasized the Dalai Lama’s consistent opposition to the use of violence in Tibet’s struggle for freedom and remarked that, ‘The Dalai Lama has developed his philosophy of peace from a great reverence for all things living, and upon the concept of universal responsibility embracing all mankind as well as nature ... he has come forward with constructive and forward-looking proposals for the solution of international conflicts, human rights issues and global environmental problems.’ He is a fine scholar, a man of peace, and a leading spokesman for better understanding among all people and
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religions. He has received honorary degrees from the Benares Hindu University, India; the Carroll College, Waukesha, Wisconsin; the University of Oriental Studies, Los Angeles; Seattle University; and the University of Paris. Among his many awards are the Ramon Magsaysay Peace Medal from the Philippines; the Asian Buddhist Council for Peace, Ulan Bator, Mongolia; the Lincoln Award, Research Institute of America; the Albert Schweitzer Humanitarian Award; the Human Behavioural Foundation, New York City; the bi-annual award of the Foundation for Freedom and Human Rights, Bern, Switzerland; and the Dr Leopold Lucas Prize, the University of Tubingen, Germany. He has published many best-selling books, including My Land and My People, The Opening of the Wisdom Eye, The Buddhism of Tibet, The Key to the Middle Way, Union of Bliss and Emptiness and Kindness, Clarity and Insight, along with other distinguished writings and numerous talks on Buddhist Philosophy. Despite his many great achievements, the Dalai Lama remains extremely modest and self-effacing, often saying, ‘I am just a simple Buddhist monk, no more, no less.’ While fighting for peace and freedom for his people and others, His Holiness has authored many more books. Some are intended to teach others to tell stories of ancient Tibet, and others are on Buddhist ancient wisdom, the modern world, and ethics for a new millennium. In these works, His Holiness calls for a revolution, not a political, economic, technical or even a religious revolution, but a spiritual revolution to help us through the moral maze of modern life. Awakening the Mind
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and Lightening the Heart is a popular practical instruction book on developing compassion in our daily lives through simple meditations that directly relate to one’s past and present relationships. Cultivating a Daily Meditation includes two discourses in which His Holiness touches upon the essential points of the great Buddhist dharma and provides a clear and simple method to cultivate a daily practice of meditation. He also explains how we should proceed in the effort to generate both the heart of compassion and an expansive view of ‘emptiness’ in our daily life. The Dalai Lama’s Little Book of Wisdom is an inspirational volume offering encouragement to anyone seeking a more peaceful and liberating way of life. Here he shares his perspective on such enduring themes as love, religion, justice, human rights, poverty, cultural conflict and the protection of the environment. Freedom in Exile: The Autobiography of the Dalai Lama of Tibet is an updated autobiography following the award of the Nobel Peace Prize, in which the Dalai Lama talks freely of his life and the tragic story of Tibet, and also discusses contemporary issues. The Dalai Lama is a man who believes in and practises his philosophy of world peace, happiness, inner balance and freedom. Bringing peace and freedom to Tibet and to the world has been the Dalai Lama’s life-long ambition. Writing books, visiting presidents and officials, and lobbying for his cause has made him what he is today: a notable world figure greatly respected and honoured worldwide. There can be no doubt that His Holiness is a very great man. He is a world citizen who has lived in exile for decades
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and has never given up his noble cause of liberating himself and his people peacefully. He teaches about realizing a global community, where all countries of our planet would live and exist with and for each other, in universal harmony. Compassion is another great virtue that His Holiness teaches; that is, how to live and care for others. Many people sincerely believe that the Dalai Lama is one of the noblest men currently living on Earth. In our world where aggression, conflict and violence breed hatred for our fellow man, how very important it is to have a man such as the Dalai Lama whose teachings involve love, universal compassion and peace. In answer to the question, Would you give us a brief outline of how you came to your spiritual mission in life?, the Dalai Lama replied as follows: It seems I feel my mission is wherever I am, to express my feelings about the importance of kindness and the true sense of brotherhood. This I always feel, and I myself practise that ideal. For the Tibetan community I express these virtues, and I advise them on the importance of kindness, and on the need to develop less attachment, and practise more tolerance and enjoy more contentment. These qualities are very useful and most important. Generally wherever I go, in the United States of America, in Europe, in Mongolia, I stress the importance of kindness, and it seems to me that generally, most people agree with my feelings. So I feel they are also upholding my vision. Anyway from my side, I am trying to uplift real human brotherhood. I think human harmony is based
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on a true sense of brotherhood. As a practising Buddhist, it does not matter whether we are believers or non-believers, educated or uneducated, Easterners, Westerners, Northerners or Southerners, so long as we recognize that we are the same human beings, with the same bond of flesh and the same kind of features. Everyone wants happiness and does not want sorrow, and we have every right to be happy. Sometimes we humans put much too much importance on secondary matters, such as differences of political systems or economic systems or race. There seems to be much discrimination due to these differences. But comparative basic human wellbeing is not based on these differences. So I always try to understand the real human values. All these different philosophies or religious systems are supposed to serve human happiness. But there is something wrong when there is too much emphasis on these secondary matters. These differences in systems are supposed to serve human happiness. When these human values are lost it is very, very bad indeed. So, in a few words, it seems my mission is the propagation of true kindness and genuine compassion. I myself try to practise these qualities. And that gives me more happiness, and more success. If I practise anger, jealousy or bitterness, then I am sure I will give the wrong impression, and cause more sadness. No doubt my smiles would disappear if I practised more anger. If I practise more sincerity or kindness, it gives me much more satisfaction!
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In a nutshell, our world must be extremely grateful that such a noble personage lives and teaches on our troubled planet. His life and purpose are best summed up in a short prayer which he himself has composed and gives him inspiration and determination: For as long as space endures, And for as long as living beings remain, Until then may I, too, abide To dispel the misery of the world.
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CHAPTER 1
Compassion and the Individual
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THE PURPOSE OF LIFE
One great question underlies our experience, whether we think about it consciously or not; what is the purpose of life? I believe that the purpose of life is to be happy. From the moment of birth, every human being wants happiness and does not want suffering. From the very core of our being, we simply desire contentment. It is clear that we humans who live on this Earth face the task of making a happy life for ourselves. Therefore it is important to discover what will bring about the greatest degree of happiness.
N E E D F O R L O V E A N D C O M PA S S I O N
Ultimately, the reason why love and compassion bring the greatest happiness is simply that our nature cherishes them above all else. The need for love lies at the very foundation of human existence. It results from the profound interdependence we all share with one another. However capable and skilful an individual may be, left alone, he or she will not survive. However vigorous and independent one may feel during the most prosperous periods of life, when one is sick or very young or very old, one must depend on the support of others.
WE ARE NOT MACHINES
We have to consider what we human beings really are. We are not like machine-made objects. If we were merely mechanical entities, then machines themselves could alleviate all our sufferings and fulfil our needs. However, since we are not solely
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material creatures, it is a mistake to place all our hopes for happiness on external development alone. Instead we should consider our origin and nature to discover what we require. I believe that no one is born free from the need for love. And this demonstrates that, although some modern schools of thought seek to do so, human beings cannot be defined as solely physical. No material object, however beautiful or valuable, can make us feel loved, because our deeper identity and true character lie in the subjective nature of the mind.
E V E R Y D AY L I F E
Even when we engage in ordinary conversation in everyday life, if someone speaks with human feeling we enjoy listening, and respond accordingly; the whole conversation becomes interesting, however unimportant the topic may be. On the other hand, if a person speaks coldly or harshly, we feel uneasy and wish for a quick end to the interaction. From the least to the most important event, the affection and respect for others are vital for our happiness.
D E V E L O P I N G C O M PA S S I O N
First of all, we must be clear about what we mean by compassion. Many forms of compassionate feeling are mixed with desire and attachment. For instance, the love parents feel for their child is often strongly associated with their own emotional needs, so it is not fully compassionate. Again, in marriage, the love between husband and wife, particularly at
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the beginning, when each partner still may not know the other’s deeper character very well, depends more on attachment than genuine love. Our desire can be so strong that the person to whom we are attached appears to be good, when in fact he or she is very negative. In addition, we have a tendency to exaggerate small positive qualities. Thus when one partner’s attitude changes, the other partner is often disappointed and his or her attitude changes too. This is an indication that love has been motivated more by personal need than by genuine care for the other individual.
T R U E C O M PA S S I O N
True compassion is not just an emotional response but a firm commitment founded on reason. Therefore a truly compassionate attitude towards others does not change even if they behave negatively. Now, when you recognize that all beings are equal in both their desire for happiness and their right to obtain it, you automatically feel empathy and closeness to them. Through accustoming your mind to this sense of universal altruism, you develop a feeling of responsibility for others – the wish to help them overcome their problems. Nor is this wish selective, it applies equally to all.
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EQUA LI TY TO A LL
As long as they are human beings experiencing pleasure and pain just as you do, there is no logical basis to discriminate between them or to alter your concern for them if they behave negatively. Let me emphasize that it is within our power, given patience and time, to develop this kind of compassion.
O B S TA C L E S T O C O M PA S S I O N
Of course, our self-centeredness, our distinctive attachment to the feeling of an independent, self-existent ‘I’, works fundamentally to inhibit our compassion. Indeed, true compassion can be experienced only when this type of self-grasping is eliminated. But that does not mean we cannot start and make progress now.
HOW CAN WE START?
We should begin by removing the greatest hindrances to compassion; anger and hatred. As we all know these are extremely powerful emotions and they can overwhelm our entire mind. Nevertheless, they can be controlled. If, however, they are not, these negative emotions will plague us with no extra effort on their part, and impede our quest for the happiness of a loving mind. We should realize that even though our opponents appear to be harming us, in the end, their destructive activity will damage only themselves.
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CHECKING YOUR OWN SELFISHNESS
In order to check your own selfish impulse to retaliate, you should recall your desire to practise compassion, and assume responsibility for helping prevent the other person from suffering the consequences of his or her acts. Thus, because the measures you employ have been calmly chosen, they will be more effective, more accurate and more forceful. Retaliation on the blind energy of anger seldom hits the target.
ENEMIES CAN BECOME FRIENDS
For a person who cherishes compassion and love, the practice of tolerance is essential, and for that an enemy is indispensable. So we should feel grateful to our enemies, for it is they who can best help us develop a tranquil mind! Also, it is often the case in both personal and public life, that with a change in circumstances, enemies become friends.
FRIENDS
Of course, it is natural and right that we all want friends. I often joke that if you really want to be selfish, you should be very altruistic! You should take good care of others, be concerned for their welfare, help them, serve them, make more friends, make more smiles. What is the result? When you yourself need help, you find plenty of helpers! If, on the other hand you neglect the happiness of others, in the long term you will be the loser. Only affection brings us genuine close friends. In today’s materialistic society, if you have money or power, you seem to have
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many friends. But they are not friends of yours; they are the friends of your money and power. When you lose your wealth and influence, you will find it very difficult to track these people down. The trouble is that when things in the world go well with us, we become confident that we can manage by ourselves and feel we do not need friends, but as our status and health decline, we quickly realize how wrong we were. That is the moment when we learn who is really helpful and who is completely useless. So to prepare for that moment, to make genuine friends who will help us when the need arises, we ourselves must cultivate altruism!
THE WORLD
Individual happiness can contribute in a profound and effective way to the overall improvement of our entire human community. Because we all share an identical need for love, it is possible to feel that anybody we meet, in whatever circumstance, is a brother and sister.
HUMAN DIFFERENCES
No matter how new the face or how different the dress and behaviour, there is no significant division between us and other people. It is foolish to dwell on external differences, because our basic natures are the same.
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HUMANITY IS ONE
Ultimately, humanity is one and this small planet is our only home. If we are to protect this home of ours, each of us needs to experience a sense of universal altruism. It is only this feeling that can remove the self-centred motives that cause people to misuse and deceive one another. If you have a sincere and open heart, you naturally feel self-worth and confidence, and there is no need to be fearful of others.
KEY TO A HAPPIER WORLD
I believe that at every level of society – familial, tribal, national and international – the key to a happier and more successful world is the growth of compassion. We do not need to become religious, nor do we need to believe in an ideology. All that is necessary is for each of us to develop our good qualities. I try to meet whoever I meet as an old friend. This gives me the genuine feeling of happiness. It is the time to help create a happier world.
Extracts from ‘Compassion and the Individual’ – message published on the official website of His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama
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CHAPTER 3
Compassion and World Peace
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BUDDHIST PSYCHOLOGY
According to Buddhist psychology most of our troubles are due to our passionate desire for, and attachment to, things that we misapprehend as enduring entities. The pursuit of the objects of our desire and attachment involves the use of aggression and competitiveness as supposedly efficacious instruments. These mental processes easily translate into actions, breeding belligerence as an obvious effect. What can we do to control and regulate these ‘poisons’ – delusion, greed and aggression? For it is these poisons that are behind almost every trouble in the world.
C O M P A S S I O N A N D T H E M A H A YA N A BUDDHIST TRADITION
I feel that love and compassion are the moral fabric of world peace. The type of compassion we must strive to cultivate in ourselves, we must develop from a limited amount to the limitless. The kind of love we should advocate is the wider love that you can have even for someone who has done harm to you: your enemy.
T H E R AT I O N A L E F O R C O M PA S S I O N
Every one of us wants to avoid suffering and gain happiness. This, in turn, is based on the valid feeling of ‘I’, which determines the universal desire for happiness. Indeed all beings are born with similar desires and should have an equal right to fulfil them. Further, the Tibetan Buddhist tradition teaches us
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to view all sentient beings as our dear mothers and to show our gratitude by loving them all. For according to Buddhist theory, we are born and reborn countless numbers of times, and it is conceivable that each being has been our parent at one time or another. In this way all human beings in the universe share a family relationship. Whether one believes in religion or not, there is no one who does not appreciate love and compassion. Right from the moment of our birth, we are under the care and kindness of our parents; later in life, when facing the sufferings of disease and old age, we are again dependent on the kindness of others. If at the beginning and end of our lives we depend upon others’ kindness, why then in the middle should we not act kindly towards others?
CALMNESS AND PRESENCE OF MIND
Another result of spiritual development is that it gives a calmness and presence of mind. Our lives are in constant flux, bringing many difficulties. When faced with a calm and clear mind, problems can be successfully resolved. When we lose control over our minds through hatred, selfishness, jealousy and anger, we lose our sense of judgement. Our minds are blinded and at those moments anything can happen, including war. Thus, the practice of compassion and wisdom is useful to all, especially to those responsible for running national affairs, in whose hands lie the power and opportunity to create the structure of world peace.
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THE DEVELOPMENT OF A KIND HEART
A feeling of closeness for all human beings does not involve the religiosity we normally associate with conventional religious practice. This is a powerful feeling that we should develop and apply; instead, we often neglect it, particularly in our prime years when we experience a false sense of security. When we take into account a longer perspective, the fact that all wish to gain happiness and avoid suffering, and keep in mind our relative unimportance in relation to countless others, we can conclude that it is worthwhile to share our possession s with others. When you train in this sort of outlook, a true sense of compassion – a true sense of love and respect for others – becomes possible. Individual happiness ceases to be a conscious self-seeking effort; it becomes an automatic and far superior byproduct of the whole process of loving and serving others.
WORLD RELIGIONS FOR WORLD PEACE
The principles discussed so far are in accordance with the ethical teachings of all world religions. Differences of dogma may be ascribed to differences of time and circumstance as well as cultural influences. It is much more beneficial to try to implement in daily life the shared precepts for goodness taught by all religions rather than to argue about minor differences in approach. I welcome efforts being made in various parts of the world for better understanding among religions.
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TWO PRIMARY TASKS
First, we must promote better interfaith understanding. Second, we must bring about a viable consensus on basic spiritual values that touch every human heart and enhance general human happiness. I suggest that world leaders meet about once a year in a beautiful place without any business, just to get to know each other as human beings. Then later they could meet to discuss mutual and global problems.
INTERNATIONAL TOURISM
To improve person-to-person contact in the world at large, I would like to see greater encouragement of international tourism. Also, mass media can make a considerable contribution to world peace by giving greater coverage to human-interest items that reflect the ultimate oneness of humanity. I hope that all international organizations, especially the United Nations, will be more active and effective in ensuring maximum benefit to humanity and promoting international understanding. The world body must be respected by all, for the United Nations is the only source of hope for small oppressed nations and hence for the planet as a whole. I hope more trans-national organizations will be formed, particularly in regions where economic development and regional stability seem in short supply.
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POLITICS DEVOID OF ETHICS
Politics devoid of ethics does not further human welfare, and life without morality reduces humans to the level of beasts. I question the popular assumption that religion and ethics have no place in politics and that religious persons should seclude themselves as hermits. Such a view of religion is too one-sided; it lacks a proper perspective on the individual's relation to society and the role of religion in our lives. Ethics is as crucial to a politician as it is to a religious practitioner. Dangerous consequences will follow when politicians and rulers forget moral principles.
MORAL DEGENERATION
It is not enough to make noisy calls to halt moral degeneration; we must do something about it. Since present-day governments do not shoulder such ‘religious’ responsibilities, humanitarian and religious leaders must strengthen the existing civic, social, cultural, educational and religious organizations to revive human and spiritual values. Where necessary, we must create new organizations to achieve these goals. Only in so doing can we hope to create a more stable basis for world peace.
SHARING THE SUFFERING OF FELLOW CITIZENS
Living in society we should share the sufferings of our fellow citizens and practise compassion and tolerance not only towards our loved ones but also towards our enemies. We must live up to the same high standards of integrity and sacrifice that
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we ask of others. The ultimate purpose of all religions is to serve and benefit humanity. That is why it is so important that religion always be used to effect happiness and peace for all beings and not merely to convert others. In religion there are no national boundaries. What is important is for each seeker to choose a religion that is most suitable to himself or herself. But, the embracing of a particular religion does not mean the rejection of another religion or one's own community. In fact, it is important that those who embrace a religion should not cut themselves off from their own society; they should continue to live within their own community and in harmony with its members. By escaping from your own community, you cannot benefit others, whereas benefiting others is actually the basic aim of religion.
SELF-EXAMINATI ON AND SEL F-CORRECTION
We should constantly check our attitude towards others, examining ourselves carefully, and we should correct ourselves immediately when we find we are in the wrong.
MATERIAL PROGRESS
I see nothing wrong with material progress per se, providing people are always given precedence. It is my firm belief that in order to solve human problems in all their dimensions, we must combine and harmonize economic development with spiritual growth. However, we must know its limitations. Although materialistic knowledge in the form of science and
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technology has contributed enormously to human welfare, it is not capable of creating lasting happiness. In America, for example, where technological development is perhaps more advanced than in any other country, there is still a great deal of material suffering. This is because materialistic knowledge can only provide a type of happiness that is dependent upon physical conditions. It cannot provide happiness that springs from inner development independent of external factors.
R E N E WA L O F H U M A N VA L U E S
For renewal of human values and attainment of lasting happiness, we need to look to the common humanitarian heritage of all nations the world over.
M Y H E A R T F E LT A P P E A L
I have written the above lines to tell my constant feeling; whenever I meet a ‘foreigner’ I have always the same feeling: ‘I am meeting another member of the human family.’ This attitude has deepened my affection and respect for all beings. May this natural wish be my small contribution to world peace. I pray for a more friendly, more caring, and more understanding human family on this planet. To all who dislike suffering, and who cherish lasting happiness, this is my heartfelt appeal.
From ‘Compassion as a Pillar of World Peace’ – broadcast on the official website of His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama